In this interview feature, we get to know the most radicalist up and coming stars on the planet. 

This time we speak with rising minimalist synth-pop master Art School Girlfriend.

Art School Girlfriend is the musical moniker of Margate-based singer, songwriter and producer Polly Mackey. As the ex-vocalist of atmospheric indie rockers Deaf Club, Polly's work as Art School Girlfriend leaves behind the classic rock-band set up in favour of a more studio-based approach to writing. With her new-found sense of creative control, Mackey embraces the exciting world of analogue synthesizers and electronic elements to create a unique, minimalist take on downbeat pop, which nods to her indie roots.

Having caught the attention of legendary producer Paul Epworth last year, Art School Girlfriend's debut EP found a home with Wolf Tone Records (The Horrors, Glass Animals, Rosie Lowe) and features her stunning debut single 'Bending Back' as well as the incredible slow-burning title track 'Measures'.

With a handful of impressive headline shows as well as a packed-out Great Escape slot under her belt, Art School Girlfriend is poised for a truly exciting year.

We caught up with Polly to discuss Margate, Measures and musical influences. 

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TMR: Art School Girlfriend is your first solo project. We're curious to know more about your decision to move away from the conventional band set up and how Art School Girlfriend came into existence?

I've been playing in bands since I was 15, and I feel lucky that I could use all of those experiences - good and bad - to give me quite a pure vision for how I wanted this project to be. I got to the stage where I felt I needed full control of the sound, so I stayed quiet for a few years working on music without showing anyone. Now I'm at the point where I really love collaborating with people, and I have a live band - so it's come full circle.

TMR: You released your debut EP Measures on producer extraordinaire Paul Epworth's Wolf Tone label, what's the story there?

I got to the point where I'd finished some the songs and didn't really know what to do with them. Then I met a guy called Joseph Hartwell Jones (JHJ) at a party in Peckham, we bonded over the fact that we were both born in Chester, and then he mentioned that he worked for Paul Epworth, who was always one of my favourite producers growing up. I was too shy to tell him I made music, but my girlfriend wasn't, so I sent him some tracks and didn't hear anything back for a few weeks. I then got an email asking me to come to The Church to meet Paul and the label. They gave me access to a studio once a month to work with Joe and get the tracks I'd done fully finished and to work on new stuff. A very serendipitous turn of events. It's rare to be given the opportunity to develop as an artist without the pressure of a deadline.

TMR: Have you worked with Paul on any of your music or do you prefer to self-produce and if so, why?

He acts as a sounding board every 6 months or so, but he did have some input on my most recent track ‘Moon’ when it was almost finished. I prefer to self-produce as that's how I write best, I need to have the sounds first. So I'll get a track as far along as I can at my studio in Margate, then work on it with JHJ at his studio in Hornsey where he's got loads of great gear. Sometimes I'll play it through with the band in between or work on it with my drummer too.



TMR: Your move from London to Margate has been mentioned a quite lot in other write-ups. Do you think getting out of London has had a direct impact on your creativity?

It's funny how much it's been mentioned. Margate’s getting a lot of press at the moment. I couldn't afford to live in London happily anymore; I had some wonderful, formative years there and it will always be a home, but it was changing. Margate offered fertile ground for being creative; I could have a studio, more space. I also love being by the sea - my mood and outlook is massively affected by my surroundings. I still see my friends in London as I'm back there all the time.

TMR: There's been quite a lot of buzz around Margate over the last couple of years, but what's the music scene really like there at the moment?

There's so many musicians and artists here. I grew up in a small Welsh town where anyone who was into art or music came together and put on shows, parties and events - if we didn't, there would have been nothing to do. So I enjoy being in that kind of environment again. It seems everyone who has moved here has a more positive outlook on life, which is contagious.

TMR: The video for 'Measures' is a particularly beautiful virtual reality depiction of Margate's famous white cliffs. Where did you get the idea and was it fun to make?

I had seen Kevin Bray's work previously - I loved his video for Gwilym Gold's ‘Greener World’. He came to Margate for the weekend and 3D mapped the cliffs. The shot of me in the field was actually done in a white studio and dropped into the landscape. I don't enjoy being in photos or videos, so this was a happy medium. He's such a talented guy and an artist primarily, which was important to me for my first video. We spent the evenings playing each other music and videos which was fun - he got me into Oneohtrix Point Never, who I now really love!



TMR: We're loving your newest single 'Moon' at the moment. It feels a bit more electronic than the tracks on Measures and the shoegaze-inspired sound of your old band Deaf Club. Is this an avenue that you'd like to explore further? 

‘Moon’ was actually one of the first tracks I wrote for this project - which will be about about 3 years ago. I was living in London and going out a lot. I was also listening to pirate electronic and techno radio stations in my car at the time when I would drive from south London to east London, which I think filtered through. I naturally prefer analogue electronic sounds, but the first EP felt like it should be more organic and measured. JHJ has an Oberheim Matrix12 and OB-6 which have definitely helped push my newer tracks into a more electronic and darker direction.

TMR: Speaking of your sound, are there any stand-out influences musical or otherwise that have really shaped you as an artist? 

Guitar music was my first love. Listening to music at 15 or 16 is so much more of an emotional experience as you're figuring out who you are, so PJ Harvey will always be my one. It's also the age you discover those cult bands and have those moments where you're like 'this is the best thing ever' - Velvet Underground, Pixies, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Patti Smith. I think that fades as you get older, so I can never listen to that music with the same rush anymore, but it's in my bones.

TMR: As a blog specialising in new music, we'd love to know if you've seen or heard any exciting new artists recently that you'd like to mention? 

Lauren Auder is really special - I'm looking forward to seeing what he does next. I've been listening to A House In The Trees, Rejjie Snow, Puma Blue, Drahla, Soma World, Sorry.

TMR: Finally, what does the rest of 2018 hold for Art School Girlfriend? 

The video for ‘Moon’ is out in a couple of weeks, I have some festivals throughout the summer, then my second EP coming out in Autumn.



Art School Girlfriend's debut EP Measures is out now via Wolf Tone Records. 

-Holly Mullineaux